The 5 Methods to Getting Firm and Flat

1. If you’ve had multiple pregnancies or lost a lot of weight then you may need…the traditional tummy tuck. 

The Details: A traditional tummy tuck involves removing fat and saggy skin and repairing the muscles that have become stretched out. After an incision is made at each hipbone, fat is first removed, with liposuction or by excision, before the skin is lifted and tightened from the belly button down—any excess skin is removed. The muscles are tightened to pull them closer together, which provides a slimmer look.

• The Pros: Results are permanent unless extreme weight gain is experienced.
• The Cons: A long scar will result; because excess skin is removed, a new belly  button will be created.

2. If you have loose skin on the stomach and thighs then you may need the lateral tension tummy tuck.

The Details: This variation places tension laterally on the abdominal muscles as opposed to centrally to address the stomach as a whole. The scar will be similar to that of a traditional tummy tuck and runs from hip to hip. It also addresses skin laxity in the thighs since excess skin is removed through a single incision.

• The Pros: Improves the look of the stomach and the thighs.
• The Cons: To achieve your desired results, your doctor may need to pull you tighter, which can make your recovery more painful and difficult.

3. If you have heavy love handles and deep folds of fat on your back then you may need the extended tummy tuck (Belt lipectomy). 

The Details: Not only is the abdomen addressed during this variation of the standard tummy tuck, but the outer areas of the body, like the love handles, are also taken into consideration.

• The Pros: The back, flanks and possibly the skin above the buttocks are tackled.
• The Cons: The scar runs around the waist. 

4. If you have a small amount of loose skin or your stomach needs further refining then you may need the limited or mini tummy tuck. 

The Details: according to New York and Great Neck, NY, plastic surgeon Kevin Tehrani, MD, a limited or mini tummy tuck will provide excellent results on someone with minimal loose skin and some fat and separated muscles. “The incision is much smaller and less skin is removed, so this is really for someone who has just a little bit of laxity and bulging,” he says. Like the traditional version, an incision is made at the upper area of the hair-bearing region (the incision is smaller in length than a traditional tummy tuck), and excess skin and fat are removed. But since the procedure focuses just on the lower part of the stomach, there is no need to recreate the belly button.

• The Pros: The scar is shorter and limited to the area where a C-section scar would be.
• The Cons: “Since less skin is removed, not as many stretch marks are removed,” says Dr. Kevin Tehrani. It does not tighten loose skin above the belly button.

5. If you have excess skin and fat in the upper abdomen from massive weight loss then you may need the reverse tummy tuck.

The Details: One of the more rarely performed variations, a reverse tummy tuck involves essentially doing the procedure upside down. Instead of the incision being made down at the pubic bone, it’s made under the breast, and the excess skin is pulled from the bottom up, not from the top down.

• The Pros: The entire midsection is improved.
• The Cons: A scar runs under the breasts and across the chest.